THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
ST. NICHOLAS PARISH From the Pastor’s Desk It is hard to imagine that we are already celebrating Memorial Day Weekend. The school year is coming to a close this week and preparations are already underway for the next school year. There will be some new adjustments for next year since Kindergarten through the Eighth Grade will be located in the Main Street Campus and the Preschool will be moved to the Fifth Street Campus. This move will be taking place over the next couple weeks. The move and adjustments are a good thing. Future growth in both buildings is on the horizon. We are truly blessed with Bishop Fenwick School and Preschool. Our children are our future. Over the weekend and in the next few days many of our High School seniors have and will be graduating. We wish them all the very best as they complete this milestone in their lives. We encourage them and wish them God’s Blessings as they continue on in either furthering their education or entering the work place. We pray for their success in life and remind them that in all they do in life they must put a priority on their Catholic Christian Faith. Our Catholic Christian Faith touches and enhances every aspect of our life. When our Faith is placed first above all else, everything fits into its proper perspective and place. Jesus’ own words say it all, “What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process?” (Matt 16:26) Stay close to God and you will not destroy yourself in the process. Tomorrow we celebrate Memorial Day. It is a custom of many to visit cemeteries on Memorial Day. It is a good and pious practice to visit the graves of our relatives, especially those who have served our country well. A prayer for the repose of their souls is a good thing. “Eternal Life grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.” Amen. As we pray and remember our veterans who have died, we pay particular attention to those veterans who have passed away this past year. As a good practice for Memorial Day may I suggest morning mass. Mass will be at 8:00 a.m. (St. Thomas traditionally has mass at 9:00 am on holidays. Morning mass is accessible.) This is a liturgy that has been well attended in the past. As I think over the past couple years I have always been impressed by the large number of parishioners who mark the National Holidays by starting their day by attending the Eucharistic Celebration. The prayers offered for the intentions of our country are important and our parishioners prove their good citizenship by seeking God’s blessings on our country, our leaders, the common good of her citizens, and the repose of the souls of our departed veterans. The Bishop Fenwick school year will be coming to an end this week. Bishop Fenwick School will celebrate graduation for our eighth grade Wednesday evening here at St. Nicholas. This Mass was scheduled to be at St. Thomas this year, however, the handicap ramp leading up to St. Thomas church building is under construction. Due to construction issues the Bishop Fenwick graduation will take place in our church. Just the same, we wish the very best for our graduates from Bishop Fenwick as they completed their studies and prepared themselves for High School. Well done and good luck. We would also like to extend congratulations to all our junior high students who are graduating from the public schools in the area. We encourage and support them as they prepare themselves for high school. Well done and blessings for great success in the future.
Thursday morning will be the last mass for the grade school: Mass will be at 8:10 a.m. The Bishop Fenwick students will also be attending their regular morning mass on Wednesday. Now that the school year comes to an end the morning weekday masses during the summer months will all be at 8:00 a.m. It would also be advisable to check the mass schedule in the bulletin just in case I am away and cannot find a priest to cover a morning mass. Lastly, today we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi: The Body and Blood of Christ. The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, the Eucharistic Presence of the Lord, has always been the object of great devotion and veneration; especially at the moment of reception of Holy Communion. The celebration of the Eucharist, also known as the “Breaking of the Bread” or the celebration of “the Lord’s Supper” was present in the life of the church from the very earliest days. The Apostles continued to go to the Synagogue on the Sabbath to preach about Jesus the Messiah. Then they would go to another location to celebrate the “Lord’s Supper” with believers. This usually took place in the homes of believers. Then during times of persecution, they would go to secluded places like the catacombs. One very important indication that they celebrated the Eucharist comes to us in St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians which we read today. In the verses preceding the passage we read for today (1 Corinthians 17 – 22) St. Paul sternly corrects the Corinthians for abuses at the Lord’s Supper. It appears that the Christian Community was celebrating the “Lord’s Supper” for a number of years and that they started to add unnecessary practices to their gatherings. Secular variations on their gathering and abuses started to develop. They started to waver. One gets the impression as this passage is read that their gatherings took on a party atmosphere where some get drunk and others go hungry. St. Paul sternly takes them to task over their assemblies. The passage for today is direct and clear. It is good to remember that this letter was written around 55 A.D: about twenty years after Christ. We read… “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, ‘this is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying; ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (1Cor 11: 23 – 25) This is the very first time that we hear these words. The Letter to the Corinthians precedes the writing of all the Gospel accounts. This tells us that the words of Jesus were essential for their gathering for the “Lord’s Supper” and they were part of the tradition before the Gospels were written. Abuses must stop and the essentials must be respected. St. Paul had to sternly correct them and bring them back to the essentials: the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup with the words of consecration. This passage also tells us that the early tradition of the Church was the belief that the bread and wine did indeed become the Body and Blood of Christ. On this feast of the Body and Blood of Christ we reaffirm our belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist: Body and Blood, soul and divinity. We show proper reverence for the Eucharistic Presence. This is particularly important at the moment of reception of Holy Communion. At this particular point in the mass it is appropriate to pray a private prayer of personal thanksgiving for the gift of the Lord in Holy
MAY 29, 2016 Communion. It is not proper to head to the doors of the Church! Consider this a reminder. This is a time for prayer par excellence. As St. Paul had to speak up and correct the Corinthians this is also a correction of an abuse concerning the bad habit of leaving at the time of reception of Holy Communion. It is an insult to the community of faith, who has at that moment, a powerful sign of unity in the Body of Christ. It is a time in which we all are in communion in a moment of prayerful Thanksgiving. It makes little sense at the time of communion to do the opposite and separate oneself from the community by leaving. It is directly opposed to what is taking place. As a community of faith we offer of prayer, calling upon the Holy Spirit to inspire in us a greater awareness and reverence for the Eucharistic Presence of the Lord in our midst. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Father Ralko
Church Support May 8, 2016 OFFERTORY $6,502.00 Diocesan Tax $ (650.00) Fenwick Subsidy $(3,060.00) Rosecrans subsidy $ (290.00) Available for Parish Operations $2,502.00 Parish Operating Expenses $(8,200.00) Religious Education Expenses $(800.00) Other Income $2,300.00 Weekly deficit $(4,198.00) May God bless you for supporting your parish This week we pray Week I of the Liturgy of the hours. We pray for the following who have died recently: Deborah Vaughn THE ANNUAL JUBILEE OF ANNIVERSARIES MASS Attention all married couples celebrating their 25th, 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th, 50th, 55th, 60th Anniversary and every year thereafter: The Annual Jubilee of Anniversaries Mass will be held on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at St. Andrew Parish, 1899 McCoy Road, Upper Arlington, at 2:30 PM. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Frederick F. Campbell followed by an informal reception in your honor. Registration forms are available from the parish office. You may also register online at http://familylife.colsdioc.org or by calling 614-241-2560. Reservations for you and guests are necessary and must be received by Friday, June 10, 2016. PRE JORDAN CLASS St. Nicholas will hold a Pre Jordan Class for parents and godparents of infants and small children who are to be baptized on Tuesday, May 31 at 7 p.m. in the Parish Office Building. Please call Mary Lou Staker 740-4537141 to register.
BISHOP FENWICK SCHOOL TRIVIA NIGHT A trivia Night sponsored by the Bishop Fenwick PTC will be held Friday, June 3 at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The cost of the event is $100 per table with 8-10 people at each table. The doors open at 7:15 p.m. and trivia begins at 8:00 p.m. There are prizes for the winning table and a 50/50 drawing & raffles will be available. There will be appetizers provided and an available cash bar. Forms are available at the school office. For questions, contact Megan Tipton
[email protected] or Angie Hustey at
[email protected]. Bishop Fenwick School is Seeking Teachers for the 2016 – 2017 School Year Bishop Fenwick School is currently accepting applications for the following teaching position: An Intervention Specialist Requirements: Hold an appropriate Ohio teaching license or be eligible to obtain one by August 2016 Current BCI&I and FBI background checks Attend a VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children Safe Environment seminar If you are qualified and interested in one of these positions, please send your resume to Kelly Sagan via email to
[email protected] or mail/bring your resume to the school office. You must also complete the application found on the Diocese of Columbus, Office of Catholic Schools website. http://dfe.cdeducation.org/app/teach.html JUNE 25th, the Bishop Rosecrans Soccer Team will be hosting a car show held at Bishop Rosecrans High School. The event will feature a car show, live music and concessions and will run from 9am - 2pm. Please forward this information to anyone who may want to participate. If you have any questions please contact coach Rod Gibson at 740704-8990.
Have a safe and happy Memorial Day. The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, May 30.
Congratulations to all area graduates!
This weekend, May 28-29, St. Vincent DePaul will be “Holding the Hat” after all Masses. Please be generous.
THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
LITURGICAL MINISTERS SCHEDULE It is your responsibility to find a substitute if needed. June 5, 2016- Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Saturday, June 4 @ 5:15 p.m. Lector: Patty Barnes, Sharon Coen Server: Christina Rozsa, Nicholas Hoffer Eucharistic Minister – Coord: Judy Hamilton Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Charlotte Snider, Dan Snider Eucharistic Minister: Janis Maziar, Mike Hoffer, Nancy Hoffer, Larry Taylor Sunday, June 5 @7:30 a.m. Lector: Tom C. Pitcock, Susan Thompson Server: Rex Hankinson, Mason Harmon Eucharistic Minister- Coord: Philip Kocoloski Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Corinne Musselman, Nancy Thompson Eucharistic Minister: Mike Musselman Sunday, June 5 @ 9:30 a.m. Lector: George Kopf, Keena Hansel Server: Nathan Hart, Justin Hart Eucharistic Minister - Coord: Chris Drake Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Robert LaPrad, Michael Drake Eucharistic Minister: Linda Haswell, John Haswell, Cheryl Sylvester, Dan Sylvester Sunday, June 5 @ 11:30 a.m. Lector: Sam Palleschi, Bill Sullivan Server: Victoria Hall, Scott Peterson Eucharistic Minister - Coord: Jim McKee Eucharistic Minister - Wash Vessel: Paula Peterson, Marianne Hall Eucharistic Minister: Jim Pottmeyer, Molly Ritchey, Paul Ritchey, Karen Hardman
Our thoughts and prayers remain with those serving our country at this time and with their loved ones at home. We pray for a safe homecoming and that the world may one day be at peace. PLEASE REMEMBER ST. NICHOLAS PARISH IN YOUR WILL. CALL THE PARISH OFFICE AT 453-0597 FOR MORE DETAILS.
Please join us each Monday at St. Nicholas Church at 2:00 P.M. as we gather to pray the Rosary asking Our Lady’s Intercession for the many needs of our nation, community, and parish.
What’s Happening in Our Parish MONDAY, May 30, Memorial Day 8:00 a.m., Mass: George Pappas, Sr., Church
TUESDAY, May 31, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 8:00 a.m., Mass: Helen & Herman Soller, Wedding Anniversary, Church 7:00 p.m., Pre-Jordan, Parish Office
WEDNESDAY, June 1 8:10 a.m., School Mass: Laura Jean Hemmer, Church
THURSDAY, June 2, Sts. Marcellinus & Peter 8:10 a.m., Mass: Elizabeth M. Noll, Anniversary, Church
FRIDAY, June 3, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Adoration until 4:00 p.m., Church 8:00 a.m., Mass: Francis Noll, Birthday, Church
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time SATURDAY, June 4, The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Confessions, Church 5:15 p.m. Mass: Gregory Blake, Church SUNDAY, June 5 7:30 a.m., Mass: St. Nicholas Parishioners, Church 9:30 a.m., Mass: L/D Members of the Hohman & Crum Families, Church 11:30 a.m., Mass: Robert Sharbaugh, Church
Readings for Week of May 30, 2016 Mon. . . . . . . . Tues. . . . . . . . Wed . . . . . . . . Thurs. . . . . . . . Fri. . . . . . . . . . Sat. . . . . . . . . . Sun . . . . . . . .
2 Pt 1:2-7 Zep 3:14-18a 2 Tm 1:1-3, 612 2 Tm 2:8-15 Ez 34:11-16 2 Tm 4:1-8 1 Kgs 17:17-24
Mk 12:1-12 Lk 1:39-56 Mk 12:18-27 Mk 12:28-34 Lk 15:3-7 Lk 2:41-51 Lk 7:11-17
